Former Calvin University President Wiebe Boer and his wife, Joanna Boer, have launched a legal battle against the university, alleging they were wrongly ousted in an episode stained with charges of racial discrimination and damaging claims of inappropriate communication.
Wiebe Boer has accused the Grand Rapids-based institution of orchestrating a hasty forced resignation after allegations arose involving "unwelcome and inappropriate" communication with a contractor's employee, reported WOODTV.
His 44-page lawsuit details how the ex-president feels his legal rights were trampled and his reputation unjustly mangled by the university's public statements, despite university claims that the communication involved was not of a sexual nature, according to a WZZM13 report. In a document rife with accusations, Boer contends he was denied ample opportunity to refute the charges to the board, moreover, his legal filings suggest Boer and his wife, the university's "first lady," faced race and gender discrimination—Joanna Boer alleging that her position at the university suffered from limited responsibilities and access compared to her predecessors.
The suit, further dissecting the sequence of events, states that, after learning of the allegations on February 22, Boer acknowledged texting the complainant but disagreed about the inappropriateness; after a short stint to plead his case, the school's board chair purportedly indicated that a sufficient majority was in place to dismiss him, precipitating his resignation on February 24, a twist allegedly influenced by the promise of a say in the university's ensuing public pronouncement—a say he claims was ultimately withheld from him as the board issued a statement on February 26, ostensibly implying due process had been afforded, as outlined in a FOX 17 reporting.
Amidst these swirling tensions, the Boers seek compensation for lost wages, mental anguish, and reputational harm, their attorney's paperwork illustrating a narrative of ostracization and an employment contract grievously breached; Calvin University meanwhile stands by its process, the Board articulating in a statement shared with WOODTV, that they have conducted a meticulous review affirming the sequence of decisions that concluded in Dr. Boer's departure, and they are poised to "correct the record" in court.
